BQPA/PIONEERS

BQPA/Pioneers

Board of Directors Meeting               April 7, 2016

Present:

Tom Noble - President

Lee Taylor - Vice President

Jim Gallagher - Treasurer

Rex Touslee - Acting Secretary

Jim Milner - Festival Chairman West - Webmaster

Gerry Carroll - Festival Chairman - East

Jack Martin - Immed. Past President

Frank Fliszar - Membership Records

Paul Ludwig - Talent Chairman – West

Guests: Pete Tyree and Al Lindseth

Quorum was declared.

Noble announced that Sec’y. Ed Simons had submitted his resignation and Tom had asked him to remain – doing the duties that he could from home – handling new member applications and sending pins. Ed agreed to do that for a while. Rex Touslee will take minutes in Ed’s absence.

Departed friends announced:

Cal Revis, Dave Walker, Emmett Bossing, Jim Richards, Phil McCabe, Bob Welzenbach, Al Baker, Dottie Hummitzsch Schwartz (Chordettes ).

A reverent rendition of The Old Songs followed.

Previous Minutes:

Accepted as presented earlier via email.

Treasurer’s Report – Gallagher

• Chicago – 2015 was a surplus over expense. Tempe – 2015 was negative , expense vs. donations. Net decline of Treasury for 2015 = $400 At present rates and charges – Tempe requires $30 per attendee to break even. 7 new members in 2015.

Some discussion of viability of Big Screen Adv. for $400 - deferred to later in meeting

Carroll notes: He has not received an invoice for awards at Chicago –2015. In effect, the vendor has donated those awards.

Treasurer’s report was accepted as presented.

Actions taken since last meeting:

Noble has talked to BHS (Eddie Holt), as has Tom Neal, re: Restoring Jack Baird’s recordings to BHS website. Holt related that many technical obstacles had now been solved and the recordings have been put back on line.

• Tom Noble announced that he will be conducting a class at the “Harmony University” component of the BHS International Convention this summer about the BQPA. Martin pointed out that the Harmonizer should be asked to give this some coverage.

• Noble related that the Big Screen slides have been updated to reflect our Spring Festival and were shown at MAD and Harmony Inc.

• Noble has appealed for a volunteer to take the Secretary’s position and Touslee was the best he could come up with so far – no official appointment as yet. Probationary status only.

Discussion of ownership of the BQPA Google group, and that Keith Hopkins has agreed to pass it on to us. Martin recommends that the BQPA leadership take it over. Touslee questions what is involved with our taking ownership. Milner and Fliszar declined to take it over. Noble agreed to become ‘ owner’.

Discussion of message content. Noble and Martin now monitoring. Content is monitored by the Google Group management (Noble & Martin).

There have been some messages blocked. Parameters of content are posted on BQPA website. Owner has veto power to accept or reject. Majority accepts Noble’s offer.

East Festival Report - Carroll

Milner reported that Carroll had not sent details of 2016 Chicago Festival for website. Carroll responded: “Same as last year.” Milner immediately posted details, correcting dates.

Contract signed for 2016 event – same as last year. $69/night for rooms – no charge for meeting room but it will not be same room as in the past, unless they cannot rent it on our weekend. A keg of beer, and sodas, will be provided gratis. Plus – complimentary breakfast. Carroll is hoping to pass the Chairmanship on to Swartzkopf next year. Discussion of setting room blocks – never know how many will come on Weds.

West Festival - Milner

Will begin negotiations with Embassy Suites next week – starting point will be to repeat the 2016 contract. Failing that – he has looked at Holiday Inn and Suites that is a few miles east of Embassy Suites, which appears to be a suitable facility - $99 night for sleeping rooms – free breakfast – free WiFi – appears to be clean and in acceptable repair. In house restaurant is adequate. Shortcomings: no shuttle from airport. Alternative transport options could be workable = train from airport to station not far from H. I.

Much discussion of the value of continuing with E. S. – many members have stated that they really like E.S. – would like to continue. Questions : value vs. costs to BQPA. Cannot continue to lose money each event. Additional costs may force relocation.

Noble: has made additional displays for registration table to demonstrate the need for increasing donations – thermometer graph to track daily level of donations.

Martin: recommends even stronger appeals to membership.

Carroll: Has noticed that many do not make donations in Chicago, in spite of direct reminders being made constantly.

Much discussion about the negotiation parameters for Milner . Such as – do we really need the big room for Thursday?? Consensus – not absolutely necessary.

Discussion of need for Registration Table on Thursday - Noble stated it is needed and Martin agreed.

Saturday Quartets - Ludwig

Was only able to get five quartets to appear this year – show will be headlined by 2015 International Senior Champs – High Priority.

Discussed ASCAP – now $19.00 for a free show.

Discussion: charging for show (tickets) vs. donation at the door.

Moved /seconded: no change. Donation-based show reporting to ASCAP to continue.

Webmaster – Milner

All BQPA job descriptions are now on website

Noble has archived the website data on a thumb drive at each Festival – it’s stored in Noble’s safe deposit box.

Discussion of conversion of pdf files issue. Almost all have now been converted from pdf (slow downloads) to HTML (web pages with almost instant display.)

Membership Records – Fliszar

Working on new - member Who’s – Who list - that will have pictures but no personal information.

Questioned how long do we keep names on Membership List.

Carroll: Feels that the Member’s list should be ‘culled’ of obviously inactive names.

No action taken

Fliszar: Is doing badges mostly based on the previous year’s attendance at a particular Festival.

Consensus: Don’t need pictures. Board expressed thanks to Fliszar, but suggests he should not spend the time on that project.

Registration - Noble

Tom reporting in lieu of June. Passed out historical summary of attendance at past Festivals. Average: 10 new members at each event.

Discussion of cost of BQPA pins. General agreement that present supply was sufficient .

Martin moves and Carroll seconds: supply on hand is sufficient – no purchase needed for now. Approved.

Communications and P.R. - Noble

Passed out report . We have a Facebook page and the BQPA all member email list.

Discussion of continuing with the big screen adv. at BHS and other large events.

Milner: Questions – how much response has this yielded ?? Noble: No direct and measurable results but have received a few comments that they were seen.

Milner: What is the BHS’s opinion of BQPA ?? Noble: generally increasingly positive.

Ludwig: motion that they be discontinued. Martin seconds.

Additional discussion – Fliszar: We must advertise in some manner to have any recognition. Martin: questions justification of the expense of $400 at each BHS convention, in light of our continual discussion of expenses/revenues.

Fliszar: The BHS is our ‘ market ‘ for new members.

Martin: We need to break our ties to BHS

Taylor: Disagrees with Martin’s comments.

Ludwig: calls for motion – amends his motion to suspension for one year of the $400 expense for big screen advertising. Martin: seconds. Approved.

Noble: There is now a revised article credited to Val Hicks. Tom will send out to the general membership.

Ludwig : moved for adjournment – approved without dissent.

Respectfully submitted:

Rex Touslee

2^nd Associate, Deputy, Vice-Assistant Secretary (Interim and on probationary status)